Young performers are also chosen from Fundacion Circo para Todos, a non-profit organisation in Cali that teaches street children circus acts.

"The children from Cali's poor communities have a very high level of development," says Fabian Hoyos, a director of Circo para Todos and a circus performer in Delirio. "Our mission is to offer them a chance, and see if they want to take it."

Image caption
Santiago Ayala: One of Cali's homegrown salsa stars

From an early partnership with Circo para Todos, Delirio has come into its own with three productions, each lasting five hours.

One of Delirio's shows, Orula, follows the history of salsa in Cali from its roots in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico and New York.

"We wanted to show people how Cali took to salsa," says Ms Buenaventura.

"In Cali salsa has a different flavour - people from Cali move their legs very fast. It is different from the Cubans, they move from the middle of their bodies to the top."

Cali-style salsa emerged in the late 1960s with the birth of Colombia's first salsa group Fruko y sus Tesos, which modelled itself on salsa pioneers Fania All-Stars in New York.

The dance that developed, influence by the rhythms of cumbia and boogaloo, is reflected today in Delirio's monthly performances.

Come dancing

Held in a circus tent that fits 1,000 people, audience members sit at cabaret-style tables and dance between acts until the early hours of the morning to an intoxicating blend that incorporates cumbia, bomba and mambo.

But according to Mr Uruena, the final element of the show - when the public is invited to dance with the performers - is the highlight.

"When the public dances with us it is very intense, very emotional," he says. "Many people come back to the show just for this."

And it is this aspect that has been a winning formula for Delirio's international performances.

"During our London show there was huge participation, even more than here, because many of the people came from Latin communities," says Mr Uruena. "Some people even cried."

Delirio's international performances are supported by Colombia's ministry of foreign affairs. In Cali, half of the funding comes from private donors, while the rest is made up through food, drink and ticket sales - which go for $45 (£35) each.

The troupe's next big performance will be in May when it celebrates its five-year anniversary.

But according to Ms Buenaventura, even as the show grows to incorporate more acts, more dancers, and an international presence, it is Delirio's slogan "Made in Cali" that is at the heart of its performance, and the heart of its dancers.

"Cali is a multicultural city with high levels of marginality," she explains. "This is reflected in the complexity of the dance."

Or put more simply, as Mr Uruena says, "in Cali, salsa is in the blood".